The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has for the second day running, suspended the morning session during the debate of age limit bill reports after soldiers were spotted in the House.
Kadaga suspended the House until 2pm after MP Odonga Otto (Aruu South) attempted to grab the microphone from NRM MP Solomon Silwany (Bukooli County) who confessed that indeed « it’s true that there are soldiers in the House but they were just praying ». A mini brawl almost ensured.
FDC’s Lucy Akello (Amuru Woman) told the House, that she had seen soldiers occupying both the Catholic and Anglican Chaplaincy prayer places.
The MPs reportedly found urine in water bottles and plates that the soldiers had been using in the Anglican chapel. The soldiers reportedly took off to the neighbouring National Theatre.
On September 27, soldiers believed to be presidential guards (SFC) raided the House and violently evicted opposition MPs during the tabling of the age limit bill by Igara West MP Raphael Magyezi.
First, defending the decision to let in external security, Kadaga went on to write to President Museveni to demand for an explanation as to why his soldiers raided the House.
The president is yet to respond to Kadaga’s letter. Even yesterday, opposition MPs raised the issue of plain-clothed security officers in the House, but Kadaga assured the MPs that the security spotted were her bodyguards.
Yesterday, Kadaga suspended the morning session after, MPs, mostly from the opposition persistently raised points of orders and rule of procedure as Legal and Parliamentary Affairs committee chairman Jacob Oboth-Oboth tabled the main report on the Constitution Amendment (No 2) Bill.
She went on suspend six MPs including Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, Allan Ssewanyana, Gerald Karuhanga, Jonathan Odur, Anthony Akol and Mubarak Manyangwa.
Kadaga began today’s morning session by demanding Oboth-Oboth to explain circumstances under which the extension of term tenure from 5 to 7 years and return of term limits got into the age limit bill report yet they were not originally included.
More to follow…
Written by Observer Media Ltd, 19.12.17
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